The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rawson School
Rawson School is a small elementary school in Hartford serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, located in the north-central part of the city on Holcomb Street. The school enrolls roughly two hundred students, the vast majority of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black with a substantial Hispanic share and very small numbers of other racial and ethnic groups represented.
The school's state assessment results show persistent academic challenges across tested grade levels and subjects. In third-grade mathematics, proficiency was quite low. Fourth and fifth grade proficiency rates in both mathematics and English language arts were suppressed by the state, which typically indicates small sample sizes. Fifth-grade science results were also suppressed. Across all grades that reported, the school's combined proficiency in English language arts was somewhat below that in mathematics, and science proficiency was lower still. When averaged across tested subjects and grades, Rawson's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile among the fifty-three districts in the Capitol Planning Region, which includes Hartford and surrounding towns. Trend data covers only the most recent year, so longer-term patterns are not available.
Class sizes appear quite small by grade—individual grades range from roughly twenty to forty students, suggesting perhaps split classrooms or multi-grade arrangements. The school serves an exceptionally high concentration of economically disadvantaged students. Special education enrollment data was not available; English learner status was similarly not reported.
Hartford School District, Rawson's parent district, has faced substantial budget pressures tied to the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds and has made significant staffing adjustments that could affect classroom resources and support services. The district has, however, made deliberate changes in early literacy instruction, shifting toward an evidence-based, science-of-reading approach in kindergarten through second grade—a shift mandated by Connecticut law. The district has also substantially expanded athletics at the middle and high school level, though this would not directly affect an elementary school. Housing in Hartford's 06112 zip code, where Rawson is located, is more affordable than state and national benchmarks, though year-over-year values have been rising. The city's downtown and neighborhoods are undergoing active redevelopment with housing conversion projects and transit improvements.
Families considering Rawson should be aware that the school serves a deeply economically stressed community and that its current academic proficiency rates are significantly below the county average. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how it is addressing literacy and mathematics instruction, what special services are available, and what the school's own growth goals are. The school's small enrollment and intimate setting may appeal to some families, but the academic context warrants direct conversation with school staff about support systems and instructional approach.
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